A Lifetime Of Friendship

In movies and TV show, groups of people effortlessly maintain close friendships for decades. In real life, it’s not that easy.

Friendship is simple, right? It seems like it should be one of the easiest things in life. The truth is we have to work hard to build and maintain friendships.

Reality

Part of the problem is that reality gets in the way. People take on new jobs, move away, start families. Life is busy. Schedules are relentless. It’s just so easy to drift apart.

Sometimes people who were once very close end their friendship over an argument. Years later they may not even remember how it started. That’s why PeopleFinders decided to visit some real experts. We met with a group of people who were better than 80 years of age and listened closely to their thoughts on the subject of long-term friendships.

Good Advice

At first they told us what we already knew. You have to work hard to make and keep your friends. Then they gave us advice on how to make that happen.

One individual gave a basic, but very solid tip: “The key to a lasting friendship, number one, is to communicate, communicate, communicate.” We got the message; if you want to stay close to your friends you have to talk to them, listen to them and really share your life with them.

Communication

Proper communication is a key factor, but sometimes knowing when to hold back is just as important. One of our friendship specialists told us: “In life and friendships, sometimes you just need to bite your tongue.” It boils down to that an old saying – you have to pick and choose your battles. You won’t always agree with your friends, but sometimes it’s better to let them have their say than to argue and risk losing the friendship.

Communication is a two-way street. It’s easy to talk. We all want to get our points across. But listening is also essential. That’s not always so easy, but it is essential to any friendship.

Treasure Your Friendships

Some friendships do come to an end. A relationship expert told us: “A fight with a friend is like a sliver in your finger – it will stay there, fester, and get infected for days, months, or even years.” No two people will agree on everything. You don’t have to love everything about the other person, but if you don’t accept them, it could mean the end of a friendship.

So many people have lost touch with friends over an ancient argument, a long distance move or just the passing of time. What can you do when you want to reconnect with the people who once shared your life? PeopleFinders.com can help. Our People Search will help you find anyone, anywhere. A great friendship is like a personal treasure. Even if you lose it for a while, it is still yours to reclaim.

Friends For Life

Cherish your friends, and put in the time and effort it takes to keep them close. It can be tough, but it’s always worthwhile. Friends are an essential part of our lives. As another of our elderly experts expressed: “Friends are like a good set of teeth, you’ve got to treat them well or they won’t last.” We couldn’t agree more.

Read more about what our expert panel had to say here, and thank-you for reading the PeopleFinders.com People Search blog.

This entry was posted
on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am and is filed under Friends.
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